Life's Tragedies
by Marissa-Xtreme SelDem Fan
Summary: First installment of a trilogy. Phoebe and Cole struggle to have children while Piper and Leo are awaiting the birth of their first child. I suck at summaries, so please just read it.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** Okay this is my first fanfic story that I have ever posted on the net. I am currently writing 3 other fanfics, but none are posted yet. Please be somewhat gentle if you want to flame me in your reviews, as it is my first fic. I do appreciate constructive criticism, though, to improve the writing of my stories. This first installment of this trilogy is pretty much G or PG rating, some parts may be PG 13 and if so, I will let you know at the beginning of that chapter. With this story, I may not be posting on a regular basis. It all depends if my teachers decide to be nice to me and give me little or no homework. I'll try to post a chapter every week at least, but my muse hasn't been working for this part of the trilogy right now. Please review, it is the only way I know if people like my story and improve my writing. Also, it is best for readers to have seen the past season 4 episodes: Bite Me, We're Off To See the Wizard, Long Live the Queen, Womb Raider, and Witch Way Now; basically the last 5 episodes of season 4. 

Okay, now there is some important stuff you need to know about this story… 

**Need to know information: **

An Alternate Universe trilogy (of course, otherwise Cole wouldn't be in it!) 

This first installment begins a couple months after the season 4 finale. 

None of season 5 is incorporated into this story (I think) 

Piper is four months pregnant and Paige no longer works at South Bay Social Services. 

Cole is still a lawyer and Phoebe still works for Elise at the Bay Mirror. All 5 people (including Leo) live at the manor. 

Thoughts and little author's notes will be in either [ ] or ' '

**Chapter 1 **

_[It had been a little over six months since Phoebe and her sisters had vanquished the Seer, along with her baby, which the Seer had extracted from her and inserted into her own womb. Yes, HER baby. Her sisters and Leo had told her that the baby was never hers; it was the Source's child. Although at the time Cole was the Source, Phoebe always knew it was her baby, her son, which was conceived in passion and an undying love between her and Cole. Ever since the Seer's vanquish, thoughts and dreams of her son had plagued her. She would think of how she would rock him to sleep, play with him, watch him grow up and just to hold him. Even though she did not seem the motherly, tied-down type, Phoebe had always longed for a baby. She was overjoyed when she had found out that she was pregnant with her son, but then the whole ordeal with the Seer happened and she was left feeling depressed and empty. Along with the vanquishing of the Seer, the three sisters had gotten rid of the Source, as well as making a potion to kill Cole's demonic half, Belthazor, but still leave him the use of his demonic powers to help do good and protect Phoebe.]_

Phoebe woke to the bright light of the morning sun shining down on her face. There was an empty space next to her, telling her that Cole had already roused and left for work. Still lying in bed, she ran a hand on her flat stomach, and then started to sob. She didn't have to look at the calendar to know what the date was. Today was the day she was supposed to have given birth to her son, but she was no longer pregnant. After crying into her pillow for another twenty minutes, Phoebe got up and went to the bathroom to dry her face off, then trudged downstairs. 

Phoebe appeared in the kitchen and saw her two sisters seated at the table having a spirited and lively conversation, despite the early morning hours. She retrieved a mug from the cupboard and poured some coffee into it, then settled herself in a chair on the opposite end of the table, furthest from Piper and Paige. "Morning sweetie, you don't look too good. Do you feel okay, get enough sleep," Piper asked, noticing Phoebe's puffy, red-rimmed eyes. 'Of course I don't feel okay,' Phoebe thought, her anger rising. "No, I didn't. I had some bad dreams last night that kept me awake and not be able to go back to sleep," Phoebe lied, taking a sip of her warm coffee. "Are you sure they weren't premonitions? Leo said our powers would grow and advance over time," Piper asked, concerned. "I don't have premonitions in my dreams Piper, nor while I am sleeping. Even if I did, I would be able to tell the difference between a dream and a premonition," Phoebe answered a little coldly, but neither Piper nor Paige seemed to take note of it. "Why don't you stay home today and get some rest," Paige suggested, twirling a lock of red hair around her fingertips. "Yeah, I was going to call Elise and tell her I wasn't feeling well today and would work on my column at home," Phoebe replied. Paige asked Piper, "Don't you have to start getting ready?" Curious, Phoebe inquired to her older sister, "For what?" Piper replied, standing up and pouring her tea in the sink, "Paige finally coaxed me into going shopping for maternity clothes." Paige's eyes flew wide open in shock as she remembered something, "Oh my god! I totally forgot! I have a date today with a guy I met at P3! I have to get ready." Piper yelled in desperation, hands on her hips, "Paaaige! It's bad enough I can't fit into most of my pants anymore, now I have to go maternity clothes shopping by myself? I want someone to come with me! Phoebe can't come because she doesn't feel good. Paige you promised you would go!" Phoebe curled up in her chair hugging her legs close to her body, head resting against her knees. Tears threatened to come falling down, 'How can Piper be mad that her pants don't fit, she finally gets to start showing her baby to the world. That should be me! I should be the one picking out maternity clothes! I want to be pregnant!' Emotions waged war with her thoughts inside her head. Paige got up and hugged Piper, "Calm down, I was just kidding. The date isn't until later today, we have time to go shopping." Phoebe could hear Piper sigh and looked up to see her sister's shoulders sag in relief. Piper leaned against the counter for support and rubbed her stomach, "Don't freak me out like that. If I get too upset, it might hurt the baby." Paige hugged Piper around the waist, her head resting on Piper's belly for only a moment. She gently patted the side of her sister's stomach, and in her baby voice, Paige apologized, "I'm sorry baby. I love you." Before Piper could push her away, Paige kissed her belly. Piper didn't like people touching her stomach, even if it was her sister. Piper then noticed that Phoebe had tears in her eyes, but none had fallen. She sat down in the chair next to her, "Are you alright, sweetie? You look a lot worse than just a few minutes ago." Phoebe nodded slowly in response, "I think my headache turned into a migraine. It hurts really bad." "Aww, poor baby. Go get in bed and I'll bring you a bowl of hot soup," Piper ordered. As Phoebe headed towards the stairs, she mentally screamed at her two sisters, 'Stop it! Stop saying the word baby! Don't you know how much that word hurts me, especially today?' It was apparent that Paige and Piper had forgotten how special this day was supposed to have been for her. 

Ten minutes later, Piper arrived in Phoebe's bedroom with a tray of hot chicken soup and crackers. The crackers. Phoebe just stared at them, remembering the past, all those times she had eaten crackers to try and calm her almost unbearable nausea, even though she had only been pregnant for a little over two months. The Seer's poisonous tonic hadn't helped either. Piper saw that Phoebe once again had tears in her eyes and asked, "Did you take some aspirin for your migraine yet?" She took a sip of the soup, first blowing on it gently to cool it, "No." Piper felt her sister's forehead, "You might have a fever. I'll get you some Tylenol and the thermometer so I can take your temperature." "Okay," Phoebe replied. Before, she had lied about her head hurting, but now it truthfully did. Thoughts and emotions raged inside her head. Visions of her sisters' earlier conversation and actions, just the act of them forgetting what day it was, made her want to scream out loud. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: **I know, REALLY short chapter, blame it on my muse, she stopped working.

After they had made sure Phoebe was comfortable, Piper and Paige left to go shopping. Once alone in the house, Phoebe locked her bedroom door. She didn't want anyone to walk in on what she was about to do. She knelt down and fished out the chest that held her most cherished and secret possessions from under her bed. It was her mother's and Grams had given it to her when she was six or seven years old. She loved it for its many compartments and smooth, burnished wood. Over the years, gifts and pictures of past boyfriends, as well as favorite celebrities had replaced childhood dolls and seashells from the beach. Now the chest held photos of her husband and family. Her fingers brushed across the secret compartment that only a key could open. Opening this would be like opening a Pandora's box of emotions. After a few minutes of searching, she finally found the key and unlocked the secret chamber. Pausing to prepare for the flood of emotions that were sure to come, Phoebe opened it. Inside this hidden compartment were things she had kept in remembrance for the baby she lost. There was a baby name book, a small teddy bear, and even a deflated blue balloon that read, 'It's a boy!' Her eyes laid on a black and white picture, it was of her baby's sonogram when Phoebe had gone to the doctor for her first ultrasound. She stared at it for at least ten minutes as silent tears trickled down her cheeks. Picking up the stuffed bear and clutching it to her chest, she mumbled aloud, "I'm sorry baby. I'm so sorry." Tears anew masked her face as she sadly rubbed her stomach. Phoebe longed to be pregnant again, to feel a little life growing inside her. She rose from the bed, grabbing one of the small, round throw pillows from the chair. After stuffing it under her shirt, she stood in front of her full-length mirror, tenderly caressing the bulge it had created. She broke down crying once more. Pulling out the pillow, Phoebe climbed back onto her bed, searching through the chest once more. Her fingers came in contact with a small, flat box. With trembling hands, Phoebe pulled it from the confines of the chest and opened it with painstaking slowness, trying not to tear the thin tissue paper.

**Author's Note: **What could be in the box? Please review!


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:** Hey everyone! I'm back with another chapter! You can all thank and applaud my muse for working overtime to give you guys a longer chapter than last time. I have got to say I am amazed at how many reviews I got after only posting two short chapters. Thanks so much to the reviewers! *****tear* 

**Comments to the Reviewers:**

CharmedFreak: Right now the first couple of chapters and probably most of this first installment will be centered around Phoebe and Cole because I need to get through some of the couple's hardships on having children and such before I get to the real "meat" of the story, so to speak. There will be some Piper/Leo moments though. All in due time I shall say. 

Ingrid: You will find out what's in that mysterious box now… 

ColeTurner4ever: Thanks so much for the compliment on the story being perfect! It sure brightened my day to read your review because I had a sucky day at school. Same here, I always thought that the baby was hers as well. Plus, I think the writers of Charmed should've put some kind of closure for her when she lost the baby and put some kind of sad emotion in there when they found out Piper was pregnant. I mean here Piper was, just finding out she was pregnant and not just like two months earlier, Phoebe had lost her son. I think they should have given her some kind of emotion besides happiness about the news of a new addition to the family. 

**Chapter 3**

Inside was a small, light blue body suit for newborn babies and a blanket with the triquetra symbol embroidered on it. On the baby suit was a little kitten and puppy curled up together, sleeping. Phoebe picked it up and rubbed the smooth material between her fingers. There was an inscription on the pastel yellow baby blanket, on the tag. It read, "To my baby, my son. You brighten my life on even the darkest of days. Blessed be." She had written that a couple days after finding out she was pregnant, but now it seemed her inscription should be the other way around. On the sunniest and brightest days, she often found herself thinking about her little boy, and those memories and thoughts would cloak her heart in sadness. Holding the stuffed bear, baby suit, and blanket, Phoebe cried herself to sleep. 

A few hours later, Phoebe woke to knocking on her bedroom door. She quickly hid the baby stuff under her comforter just as Paige orbed in. "Phoebe, why'd you lock your door? I knocked like ten times and you didn't answer." "Sorry, I fell asleep. I locked the door because I just wanted to be alone and didn't want to be bothered if anyone came home. Plus, I didn't want Piper to come in here because I don't want to get her sick if it's contagious, her being pregnant and all," Phoebe mumbled, rubbing her eyes. "Oh okay, well Piper wants you to come downstairs so she can show you all the cute maternity clothes she bought." Phoebe shook her head, "No, I still don't feel well. Maybe I should sleep a little more." She knew that if she went downstairs, the experience of Piper showing off all her clothes would be tortuous for her. Paige coaxed, "Come on, please? Piper's so excited." She finally relented, "Alright." For the next few hours Phoebe pasted a fake smile on her face as her older sister showcased the new clothes she'd purchased. Afterwards, she went back to her room and crawled into bed. Phoebe was somewhat jealous of Piper; her sister got to buy maternity clothes, be able to show the world that she was soon to be a mother by her enlarging abdomen, and would have a baby to love and care for in five months time. She only had a stuffed teddy bear, blanket, baby garment, and a sonogram picture to remember her son by. Piper would have a whole lifetime of memories to create and reminisce in, as she got older. Sure, she could always have another baby, but nothing could replace the love she felt for her first child, even though he was never born. In fact, her and Cole had been trying to conceive almost as soon after the loss of their son, but to no avail. Phoebe pulled out the baby stuff from where it was hidden and stared at them. She smoothed the ruffled hairs around the eyes of the bear and wrinkles from the blanket. As Phoebe held the baby suit in her hands, she caught the faint smell of baby powder from it, although it had never been used. Her finger traced the pattern of the puppy and kitten and a single tear fell. Someone knocked on her door and she wiped away the tear then hid the baby stuff back under the comforter once more. "Come in," she called out to whoever was standing outside her room. Paige entered, holding a glass of water and two pills. "Here, Piper said to take some more aspirin because she noticed you had tears in your eyes when you were downstairs and thought your migraine had come back again." "Thanks," Phoebe said awkwardly, she wanted Paige to leave so she could be by herself. No luck. Paige set the glass on the nightstand and handed her older sister the pills then sat beside her on the bed. Rubbing her back, Paige asked softly, "You doing any better? From this morning I mean." "No, I feel worse, " Phoebe replied. It was then that Paige noticed the bulge in her sister's covers and asked, while pointing, "Phoebe, what do you have under there?" "Oh nothing, it's just a pillow," she lied. "I'll bet," Paige responded, as she went to reveal what was under there. "No," Phoebe shouted, lunging to cover the mound, but she was too late.** [A/N: Phoebe put the sonogram picture back in the chest so it wouldn't get crumpled while she lay on the bed earlier.] **

A shocked Paige was staring at the blanket and baby suit in the box. She then picked up the bear and felt its soft fur. Turning to her sister, she picked up the remaining two items, "These are so adorable! Piper is going to love them! I'm gonna go show them to her!" "No! They're mine! I bought them, give them back to me!" Phoebe shouted, snatching the baby stuff from Paige's hands. "Why..." her youngest sister asked, confused, then figured it out, "oh my god, you're pregnant! Piper's gonna be thrilled!" Leaving Phoebe no chance to protest her sister's assumption, Paige quickly hugged Phoebe and patted her stomach before orbing out. "I wish..." Phoebe muttered as she curled her legs close to her body, rocking gently. Now her sisters thought she was pregnant, they would probably tell Leo and Cole, thinking she hadn't told him yet by the way she kept the baby stuff secret. No doubt, Cole would be ecstatic over the news. The hard part was telling them it wasn't true. Shaking her head as she rested it in her arms, she said to herself, "This is such a mess..." 

**A/N: What is Phoebe to do? I probably will be posting Chapter 4 this weekend if I am allowed on the computer. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: **SOOOOO sorry that it took me forever and a day to post this chapter. We had trouble with my Internet and the guy couldn't come out for a week. This week I've been really busy, loaded with homework. Also, this week my computer died. It needed a new power supply so I didn't have a computer to use and was left fearing that all my stuff would be gone from the hard drives. Luckily, nothing was lost. I also had a little writer's block for this chapter earlier but I got back on track. To make up to my faithful readers, I made a longer chapter for you guys while I was computerless. I am so happy you guys like my story! All your wonderful reviews make me cry! Here's chapter 4! The next chapter will probably be set a month and a half later. CharmedFreak, this chapter is for you, it has a Piper and Leo moment in it.

**P.S. – If anyone knows how to get the double spacing to work, I will be forever grateful. I don't like making my readers squint to read the rows of lines all squished together.**

**Comments to the reviewers:**

Kelly: You never know what goes on inside Paige's head of hers. Maybe she thought there had been a demonic attack and Phoebe could've been lying in a pool of her own blood, dying, with no one to help her. Maybe the fumes from that potion that made her hair red got to her brain… As for going through her stuff, can you say, "Curiosity killed the cat?" Well, Paige had to think it was for Piper, why else would she have baby stuff, and hiding it? You never know…Piper could have walked in instead of Paige and then Piper would've thought they were hers. I guess it was a no win situation.

**Chapter 4**

Meanwhile, downstairs, Paige orbed into the kitchen with a twinkle in her eye. Too tired to cook, Piper was on the phone with the nearby Domino's. After she'd ordered the pizzas, she noticed that her baby sister was practically bursting with smiles. "What's gotten you so cheery, have you been bitten by the happy bug?" Paige answered, "No, it's not that. I found out why Phoebe hasn't been feeling well. Piper, she's pregnant!" Wide-eyed with amazement, Piper gaped at her younger sister, "This is so great! We'll be pregnant together!" "I know," Paige responded. "How did you find out, did she tell you?" "When I went to give her the aspirin, there was a bulge in her sheets. I uncovered it, finding a teddy bear and a box with a baby blanket and body suit for newborns. Naturally, I assumed that she bought them for you and told her that I wanted to go show them to you. She told me no, that she had bought them for herself. It was then that I figured out she was pregnant," Paige explained, her smile growing wider and eyes sparkling with excitement. Writing a check for the food, Piper asked, "What's the date today?" "The fifth," Paige replied.

Twenty minutes later, after the pizzas had been delivered, a little bell rang in the back of Piper's mind. Her and Paige were in the kitchen getting sodas. Phoebe had not come out of her room since Piper's little fashion show earlier. "Oh my god! How could I have been so stupid?" Piper exclaimed, finally connecting all the pieces of the puzzle together, "how could've I forgotten?" Paige asked, wondering why her eldest sister was saying those strange things, "What? What did you forget?" "Paige, Phoebe isn't pregnant. Everything fits…the crying, the baby stuff… Today she was supposed to have her baby, if she was still pregnant of course. Today was her due date, " Piper enlightened her baby sister, seeing her confused expression. "I am such an idiot! Here I am, the oldest sister, who is supposed to be taking care of you guys, and I don't even remember something as important as this," She continued, berating herself as tears flowed down her cheeks. Paige hugged her, "Sh sh. Hey, it's not your fault. I forgot too, I think everyone did, including Cole. Don't blame yourself. Besides, like you said before, it might hurt the baby if you get too upset. Calm down. I may have made it worse. I just saw the cute baby things and I thought they were for you… I was going to give away her most cherished possessions… those are probably the only things she has to remember the baby by." Now Paige was in tears and it was Piper's turn to comfort, "It's okay, you didn't know." They held each other for a few moments until Piper spoke up again, "Why don't we take some pizza up to Phoebe, she's got to be hungry by now?" Paige nodded, getting a plate then placing three slices on it. They both ascended the stairs, hesitating before one knocked on the door. "It's open," Phoebe called from inside. They went in and saw their sister curled up in the chair, gazing outside the window. "We brought you some pizza," Paige said softly, noticing that everything had been put away and the bed made. The middle sister replied, waving her hand in the direction of her bed, "I'm not hungry. Just put it on my nightstand, I'll eat it later." Phoebe was confused, why weren't her sisters happy and smiling? Her sisters thought she was pregnant, so why wouldn't they be excited about it? Too many things were going on so fast, too many emotions being felt all at once. A choked sob escaped her throat as she broke down.

Paige quickly set down the plate of food and both sisters rushed to Phoebe's side. Each hugged her as Phoebe clung to them like a scared little child. "We're so sorry Pheebs." Phoebe only cried harder, realizing that her sisters finally remembered the importance of today. Piper gathered her younger sister in her arms and, with Paige's help, moved her to the bed. Phoebe lay down whereas the two other sisters sat beside her, stroking her hair and rubbing her back. After a while, Piper and Paige lay down as well, holding their sister in a sandwich of love, Piper on her right and Paige on her left. They all understood loss, but nothing could compare to the loss of a child. Phoebe drifted off into a fitful sleep, sometimes twisting and turning, probably dreaming of when the Seer took her baby.

Hours later, it was almost dinnertime and Phoebe was still sleeping. Piper was preparing dinner and Paige was reading a magazine at the table, she'd decided to cancel her date due to the happenings in the manor.. Interrupting the silence, Paige stated, "You know, we need to tell Cole. About Pheebs, and today." Placing the spaghetti noodles in a strainer, Piper sighed, "I know. I just can't believe we all forgot. Especially me." Putting down her magazine, the youngest Halliwell asked, "Are you still blaming yourself sweetie?" When Piper nodded, she rose and embraced her in a hug, "Oh honey, just because you're the oldest doesn't mean you have to take care of us, we're all adults. Sometimes this family has to take care of you." Piper protested, "But I'm supposed to know, Paige. I've known Phoebe all her life, taken care of her. I was there when she had her heart broken over boys she liked, made her feel better when she was sick. Since Phoebe never got to know mom as a kid, I was like her mother. I accepted her with open arms when she came back from New York, but Prue wouldn't, she was still furious with her over the ordeal with Roger. We've always been there for each other. I just should have known something was wrong."

A few minutes passed and Cole shimmered in. He hung up his coat and set his briefcase down, then walked into the kitchen, "Mmm, smells fantastic Piper, what is it?" "Spaghetti and meatballs with garlic bread," she responded, stirring the pot of sauce. "Yum, when will it be ready? And where's Phoebe?" "It will be ready in a few minutes. Pheebs is upstairs sleeping. Please don't wake her up, she's had a hard day…" Piper trailed off, "after dinner you can take some food up to her." "Alright," Cole replied, first sneaking a bite of the sauce, when Piper turned her back to put some tomatoes on the salad. "Hey," she exclaimed, lightly hitting him on the back, "wait till dinner!" He laughed and then headed upstairs to the bathroom.

Paige was in her bedroom thinking about her sisters. It was not good for Piper to be blaming herself about her forgetfulness of this special day of Phoebe's. She decided to call Leo; he could make her feel better. "Leo," she called out softly. The familiar sound of orbing and the bluish white lights filled the room. "What is it Paige, did a demon attack," concern etched across his face. "No, but I need to talk to you." He sat on the bed, intently listening for what Paige had to say, "What about?" "Piper and Phoebe," she simply stated. "What's wrong?" "First, just wait until I finish to ask questions. Well, you see, this morning Pheebs came downstairs, claiming she had a migraine and said she wasn't feeling well. Piper sent her up to bed and gave her some soup and crackers. Then Piper and I went shopping for some maternity clothes. When we came back, Piper showed her clothes to Phoebe, but she noticed that Pheebs had tears in her eyes and thought her migraine had come back again. So Piper sent me up to give Phoebe some more aspirin. There was a bulge in her sheets and curiosity got the best of me. I uncovered the bulge and discovered that Phoebe had hidden a teddy bear and a garment box with a body suit for newborns and a baby blanket with our triquetra symbol on it. I thought she got them for Piper, for the baby. They were so cute, I wanted to show them to Piper, but Phoebe told me that she bought them for herself. When she said that, I automatically assumed that she was pregnant and hadn't told anyone yet by the way she wanted to keep the baby stuff secret and hidden. I told Piper and she was so happy that her and Pheebs would be pregnant together. A little later, it hit us that Phoebe wasn't, that today was actually her due date to give birth to her baby if she'd still been pregnant. We'd all forgotten. My point is that Piper blames and is being too hard on herself for forgetting about today. She kept saying that she should have known because she'd known Phoebe all her life and had always been there for her. She's really distraught over this Leo, and it can't be good for the baby either." Leo gently squeezed her hand for reassurance, "Thanks for telling me. I'll talk to her about it." "No problem, I just want everything to be alright." As he was heading out of Paige's room, Piper called everyone to dinner, with the exception of Phoebe.

Once the dinner was finished and the table cleared, Cole started to take a plate up to Phoebe. Piper stopped him, placing a hand lightly on his shoulder to stop him, "Cole, before you go up there, you need to know something. Pheebs has had a very hard and trying day… she's been really emotional. It's because today was supposed to be the day she gave birth to her baby…" "Jesus Christ! I forgot!" Piper responded sadly, looking down as tears started to form in her eyes, "We all forgot Cole." Trying to keep his voice down to not wake Phoebe, Cole shouted, "But I'm her husband!" "I know, just be careful with her. She's very sensitive right now; watch what you say around her. She doesn't need to be reminded of all the hurt and pain. Just hold and comfort her, she really needs you right now." Cole nodded then shimmered upstairs outside his and Phoebe's bedroom. He quietly opened the door and stared at his sleeping wife with guilt-filled eyes. Sitting down on the edge of the bed, he gently rubbed her back as a finger caressed her cheek. Phoebe stirred and turned, saying softly with half open eyelids, "Cole." "I'm here sweetie. I brought you some delicious spaghetti that Piper made." He set the tray of food in her lap then changed into some more comfortable clothes. They sat in silence as she ate, Phoebe wondering if he'd remembered today and Cole wondering what he could say to comfort her without causing his wife more grief. Once finished eating, she tray aside and lay down, as did Cole. He then gathered Phoebe in his arms, tenderly kissing and hugging her, making sure to avoid her stomach, which had been a soft spot for the both of them during Phoebe's short pregnancy. He whispered in her ear, "I'm so sorry sweetie. I should have remembered." He pulled her closer to him as they both started to cry over their lost son. After a while, Phoebe's sobs quieted as she began to ponder something that had been nagging her mind for six months. "If my love was able to save Cole then why couldn't our love save our son," she asked herself. Phoebe started to cry again, this time looking up into Cole's deep blue eyes, searching for an answer, "Why couldn't we save him?" Cole was speechless, he thought and searched deep inside himself for and answer, but found none. "I don't know sweetie, " Cole softly replied.

Downstairs, Piper was washing the dishes when Leo walked in unnoticed. He sneaked up behind Piper and wrapped his arms around her waist, nuzzling her neck. "I love you," she responded, turning off the water faucet and setting down the plate she'd been cleaning back into the sink. He replied, his hand moving under her blouse, caressing her belly, "Mmm, me too." She turned around in his arms, kissing him sweetly on the lips. Gently leaning back, her arms encircling his neck, she titled her head slightly to the side, smiling, "What did I ever do to deserve you?" He smiled too and kissed her back, "I think it's the other way around." Her laugh echoed throughout the kitchen as Leo orbed them both into their bedroom. They kissed a little while longer on their bed the parted when Piper started gathering some pajamas and a towel. "Where do you think you're going," Leo asked, pulling her close to him once more. "I am going to go take a nice, hot, relaxing bath. Care to join me Mr. Wyatt," she returned, a smug expression on her face. He replied, a seductive look playing on his features, "I thought you'd never ask." He bent and scooped up his wife, laughing at her yelp of mock fright, and carried her into the bathroom. Leo started the run the bath, as Piper got undressed. He stared at his beautiful wife; the glow and softness of her skin, her long, silky brown hair cascading down her shoulders. He stripped himself of his clothes and gave Piper a searing kiss. They both got in the bathtub, Leo leaning against the back of the tub and Piper resting on Leo's chest in front of him. He massaged her shoulders, trying to relieve the tension in them. As she started to relax, she began to wash the both of them. He took the washcloth from her hands, "Here, let me do that." She smiled in response. After scrubbing her arms and shoulders, he gently began to wash and massage her stomach in methodical circles. Not a minute later, Leo felt a tiny flutter deriving from his wife's belly. They both looked at each other with surprised expressions. Leo asked, "Was that the first time the baby kicked?" Piper nodded, tilting her head to capture his lips with hers. The couple relaxed in the bath a bit more then got out, as the water was becoming cold. They dried each other off and redressed in their pajamas. Piper donned a green silk nightgown and Leo a pair of boxer shorts and white undershirt. Joined together at the mouth and arms encircling the other, Piper and Leo laid on the bed. Continuing their kiss, Leo carefully tugged at Piper's nightgown. Pulling away, Piper said, "No Leo. The baby…" "Will be fine. Remember, the doctor said it's okay to make love up until the last month of pregnancy," Leo responded. Getting no refusal this second time, Leo pulled the gown over Piper's head, dropping it to the floor. He pulled his boxer shorts off and slipped under the covers. Just the sight of his gorgeous wife lying there naked on the bed made his heart beat a little faster. It was amazing how after two years of marriage, their 'charming' lives, and his wife's growing pregnancy had not dulled the passion in their lives. In fact, all the struggles they had overcome, the Elders, death, and trying to have children, had only heightened their love for each other. They held one another close as they made love.

**Author's Note: **So how was it? Did you like it? Please review! I don't know when I'll have the next chapter out, I haven't written it yet. I hope to have it written by around this time next week, but I am making no guarantees. I have a busy week ahead of me.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note:** Hey guys! I am EXTREMELY sorry that this chapter is so late. I had this chapter written about a week ago, but then I got grounded from the computer for 8 days, so I couldn't type it up and post it. Well, it's here now. I love all your reviews, thank you all for them. 

**CharmedFreak:** I am so glad you loved the Piper/Leo moment, I really had a lot of fun writing that part. 

**Chapter 5**

It wasn't until ten in the morning that Phoebe woke. She tried to get out of bed, but found it hard to move due to cramps in her lower abdominal region. For the past three days, she'd been having cramps and today they were worse than the previous few days. Phoebe knew that her period was coming up soon and accrued them to pre-menstruational symptoms. She slowly walked to the bathroom and filled a bottle with hot water, then carefully made her way down the stairs. She went into the kitchen, where Piper was reading the newspaper. "Hey honey, how are you feeling," Piper greeted her younger sister. Phoebe replied, downing some water after popping two Tylenol into her mouth, "Horrible, the cramps are at their worst. I'll probably start within a day or two. I'm going to lay down on the couch for a while." "Okay, do you want me to fix you something to eat?" Phoebe responded, "That would be great, Piper, thank you." The eldest sister hugged the younger gently, "No problem sweetie. Now get some rest." Phoebe went into the living room and laid on the couch, placing the warm water bottle just below her stomach. She closed her eyes and willed the pain to go away.

Fifteen minutes later, Piper came into the living room with a tray of eggs, toast, and orange juice. "Phoebe, wake up sweetie." Piper softly shook her sister's shoulders. Phoebe moaned as she carefully sat up. It was then that Piper noticed a circle of blood the size of a baseball mitt on the couch where her sister had been lying just moments before. "Uh Pheebs… Your prediction came true a little early," Piper told her, pointing to the large stain. Phoebe stood up, "I'm sorry Piper, I ruined the couch." "It's alright," Piper patted her sister's shoulder then recited a spell she knew all too well, "let the object of objection become but a dream as I cause the seen to be unseen." The blood disappeared and Phoebe headed upstairs to the bathroom to change her clothes.

Moments later, Piper heard a mirror-shattering scream. She raced upstairs, as best she could for being six months pregnant, to the bathroom to check on her younger sister. She yanked open the door and stopped in shock. There was a pool of blood all around Phoebe. She was pale with fright and her body shook uncontrollably. Piper covered her mouth for a couple seconds, "Oh my god that a lot of blood…" Phoebe started sobbing and Piper went to her, "Sh sh. It'll be alright. Take a warm shower and I'll clean this up. Afterwards, I'm going to call Paige and we're taking you to the hospital." Phoebe was very scared, she'd never had this heavy of a period before. True, her last one had been light, but not even the heaviest of all her periods had amounted to this much bleeding. As she stepped out of the shower, her legs felt weak and she almost collapsed to the floor, but Piper caught her. She helped her dry off and get dressed. Since she had lost a lot of blood and was still shivering, Piper wrapped her into a warm, thick blanket. It was then that Paige orbed in after Piper's strained callings, "What's the deal?" "We need to get Pheebs to the hospital. We're taking the car in case we need it. Paige, you drive since I can't fit behind the wheel anymore." With Piper's tone of voice, Paige knew to wait and her questions would be answered later after Phoebe had gotten help. She deduced that this all had to do with Phoebe's cramps.

Paige drove quickly but carefully through the streets. Piper sat in the back with Phoebe lying down, her head resting against the side of Piper's bulging belly. The eldest sister stroked Phoebe's hair and whispered in her ear, "It's going to be okay, honey. This is just a very heavy period. It'll be alright…" Minutes later, the middle sister went limp in Piper's arms. She tried to wake Phoebe from her unconscious state by careful shaking and gentle slaps to the face. "Pheebs, come on sweetie, wake up. Paige, how much longer until we get there?" Paige kept her eyes on the road, but frequently darted them to the backseat towards her two elder sisters, "Uh, about fifteen to twenty minutes. The enormous traffic for this time of day is very unusual." Phoebe started to slowly open her eyes after three minutes of Piper trying to revive her. "You need to stay awake Pheebs. Try talking, that should keep you awake," Piper suggested. In a hoarse whisper too faint for the other two sisters' liking, Phoebe replied, "I'll try."

After what seemed hours, they reached the San Francisco Memorial hospital. Paige parked the car and they both carried Phoebe into the emergency room. Once they had signed in, three nurses and a doctor wheeled Phoebe away on a gurney. Piper and Paige followed, answering the doctor's questions as they rushed through the halls. "Is she allergic to any drugs?" Piper responded, "No." He asked next, "What happened to your sister Mrs. Halliwell?" Piper replayed everything that had been happening the past three days, leaving out no details. "Thank you, that is all the information I need to know for now. Once I get your sister stabilized, I will come out to talk to you about what we need to do," the doctor said as they neared the trauma room.

One and a half hours had passed when the doctor finally came out into the waiting room and called the Halliwells' name. "I believe we didn't meet properly before. I'm Dr. Greene," he shook both sisters' hands. "Is she alright," Piper asked fearfully. Dr. Greene responded, "Yes, for now she is. She has lost a great amount of blood, but we succeeded in stopping the bleeding. Your sister may need a blood transfusion, are either of you AB negative blood type?" "I am. Can we see her? Is she conscious," Piper asked. "Yes she is, I will take you to her in a minute. We need to run some tests on your sister. I'll start with blood work, a urine test, and a pelvic examination. If I have to, we'll do an abdominal and pelvic ultrasound as well. When the results get back, I will return with a diagnosis. Follow me, your sister's room is just down this hall," the doctor instructed. When they entered, Paige gasped at the sight of Phoebe. Her skin was as pale as the white sheets she was laying on and her eyes were red-rimmed from crying with dark circles under them. They both hugged her, all three women cried together, all scared at what the results of the tests would reveal. They talked until Dr. Greene came to do the pelvic exam, at which the two sisters left. Piper and Paige returned to the waiting room after visiting the cafeteria for something to drink. The silence between them and thoughts of Phoebe weighed heavy upon their shoulders. Piper began to sob and Paige wrapped her arms around her sister, "It'll be alright. Phoebe will be okay, Dr. Greene said so." "No Paige, you didn't see all the blood… something is wrong, I can feel it," Piper said as she placed a hand over her heart.

"Mrs. Turner?" Dr. Greene asked as he strode into Phoebe's hospital room. She replied, "Yes?" "The results from your other tests have returned. As I have seen, you and your sisters are very close. Would you like them in here when I give my diagnosis?" "I would, please, and thank you." Dr. Greene responded, "Okay, I'll go get them and be back in a few minutes." Paige, Piper, and the doctor entered five minutes later. Phoebe could see the fear in her sisters' eyes. She could tell that Piper had been crying by the redness of her eyes and the flush of pink color in her cheeks. Phoebe reached out to them and each sister took a hand on either side of the hospital bed. Paige and Piper kissed Phoebe on the forehead then all three anxiously waited for the doctor's news. "After reading the test results and performing the pelvic exam, my diagnosis is that you're having a miscarriage," Dr. Greene told them. Tears sprang to each woman's eyes. "Is my baby alright, can you save my child," Phoebe asked, tears falling heavily now. "I'm sorry, there was nothing I could do. Most of the fetal and placental tissues have already been expelled from your body, which is why you were bleeding so much. There are still some uterine tissues in your body that need to be flushed out. We cannot give you drugs for that, however, we can give you some for the pain. I think the remaining tissue should be out in two to three days, but it differs from woman to woman. During this time, while you are bleeding, I want you to stay on bed rest. When the bleeding is very light, you may walk around a bit, but no strenuous activity. Wear sanitary napkins that are long and thick. If it has not stopped by next week, I want you to come back in. Here's the prescription, you can get it filled in the hospital's pharmacy. I'm so sorry for your loss, I wish there were more I could've done." He turned and started to walk away. "Wait, Dr. Greene," Phoebe asked, "how… how far along was I?" He replied, "It was hard to tell due to most of the tissue already gone, but I estimated it to be about three weeks." Phoebe questioned, "What caused my miscarriage, do you know?" "I'm not sure. In miscarriages, many factors can come into play. The fetus could have not been developing right or had abnormalities. Stress and large amounts of consumed caffeine such as coffee can trigger it as well. Usually, it is more than one thing though," Dr. Greene explained, then replied softly, "If you don't have anymore questions, I'll go sign your discharge papers." Phoebe nodded and he walked out. Her face and body felt numb. 'Three days…' she thought, 'three days I've been having a miscarriage and I didn't even know I was pregnant!' Everyone was silent for a few moments, the older and younger sisters not sure what to say. "Don't tell Cole," Phoebe said in just above a dry whisper. Disobeying what their minds were telling them and following their hearts, both Piper and Paige nodded.

It had been two days since the hospital crisis. The sisters had given Phoebe some distance, uncertain if she wanted to be held, comforted, or left alone. Cole was very worried about his wife. For two nights she had slept on the couch and she wouldn't talk to him. He began to wonder if she was mad at him for some reason. True to their word, Piper and Paige hadn't told Cole about the miscarriage, even though they pleaded with themselves to do so, they all had to help Phoebe out of this, including Cole. The younger and older sisters knew Phoebe wasn't dealing with her pain and emotions well. She wouldn't talk or eat. She would only cry except for when Cole was around. Once her husband had left in the morning, all Phoebe did was lie in bed and stare out the window or at the ceiling.

Later that night, Cole came home from work, tired from the day. He set down his briefcase and surveyed the rooms, finding no one. Entering the kitchen, he found a note on the counter, 'Paige and I went to the store. Back in a while, Piper.' Cole climbed the stairs to the bedroom he shared with Phoebe. He quietly opened the door and saw his wife standing by the window, gazing out at the city. His face brightened when he saw this. Maybe she was feeling better, he reasoned. Cole's presence went unnoticed by Phoebe as he crossed the room and wrapped his arms around his wife's waist, hugging her from behind. "Hey baby," he greeted, kissing the back of her head, "you're out of bed. Are you feeling better?" All he received was silence. He continued, kissing her in the neck and on her shoulders. They hadn't made love in nearly a month. Both of their demanding jobs and demons had seen to that. He longed for her gentle touch, to feel her closeness. Cole slipped his hands under her shirt, wanting to run them along her body, to caress her silky smooth skin. His fingers had just brushed across her abdomen when Phoebe let out a choked cry, pulling away from his embrace, sobbing as she ran to lie on the bed. Going over and sitting down next to his wife, rubbing the side of her arm, he asked concernedly, "Baby, what's wrong?" He was faced with silence again, except for Phoebe's increasing cries. "Please tell me honey. Are you mad at me, did I do something wrong? I don't like seeing you like this sweetie. I hate not talking to you, I hate not holding and kissing you. Tell me," he pleaded with her. "No Cole," she simply said between sobs. He didn't know what to do, didn't know what was wrong with his wife and it was killing him not knowing. "You won't tell me," he asked, hurt. Phoebe replied, "No, I'm not mad at you." "Then why won't you tell me what's going on with you! Dammit Phoebe, I'm your husband, I love you," his shout trailed to a whisper as his own tears began to fall. "I had a miscarriage two days ago," she said, sniffling through her tears. Cole stared at her in shock and disbelief, "What?" Surely his wife couldn't have been pregnant and not told him. As if she read his mind, Phoebe replied, "I was only three weeks, I didn't know. That was why I kept having those cramps. On Friday, I started bleeding really heavily. I just thought it was a bad period, but when I went to the bathroom to change clothes, blood came gushing out. God Cole, there was so much blood… I was so scared. Paige and Piper took me to the hospital and that's how I found out." Cole hugged her, "Oh honey, why didn't you want to tell me?" "I knew you'd be disappointed, I know how much you want a baby, Cole. If I had known… god, I would have done anything to still have that baby inside me. I want a baby so badly," Phoebe explained, starting to cry once more. "Sh honey, we can try again later, when you're ready. A child would be amazing, but as long as I have you, I'm the happiest man in the world." Phoebe uttered a soft 'I love you' in his hear. With a teasing glint in his eyes and a smile on his face, he gently placed a hand on her stomach, surprised that she didn't flinch at his touching her there. "If I have anything to do about it, we'll soon have another little baby in here, and I'll make sure it doesn't come out until it's supposed to." He kissed her forehead. Phoebe chuckled low in her throat. She sighed, relieved that the weight she'd been carrying on her shoulders had been lifted. "Cole," Phoebe asked, getting his attention. "Yes sweetie?" "Hold me," she requested. "I'll hold you for the rest of my life Phoebe, the rest of my life…" he promised. They snuggled together and fell asleep.

**Author's Note:** Whew, long chapter! 12 pages handwritten and 8 typed up! That was one of my longer chapters, longer than chapter 4. Chapter 6 will probably be set about 3 months later. It will mostly involve Piper and Leo, about the birth of their child. What do you guys think it will be? Boy or girl? Which do you want? I already have the gender picked out it my mind but I would like to see what your guys' opinions are. By the way, please review! I love reading all of them! 


	6. Author's Note

Author's Note: Hey guys! I am SO terribly sorry that I haven't updated in like a month, or well at least it feels like a month. I am sorry that Chapter 6 is not out yet. I have been having MAJOR writer's block for this chapter. I've gotten a little bit written but I am stuck at a point where I can't figure out what to write next. Plus, I have been extremely busy. It's midterm time again and I've had to study like a crazed lunatic (is that even a sensible phrase, given that lunatics are just crazy people, for lack of a better term, so I guess that means that they are crazier than the average crazy person? Wow, I just confused myself. I had midterms this week and have a few next week as well. I HOPE to get Chapter 6 out to you guys by next Monday, not this Monday, the 25th, but the following Monday. We have a very busy week at school: Midterms, major projects, Homecoming Games, Homecoming Dance, working on class floats, and a buch of other activities that I need/want to attend. Sorry guys for such a delay, I hate to keep the readers waiting like this, as I know some anxiously await updates for this story.

Thanks, All my love to my reviewers and readers,

Marissa, Xtreme Piper Fan


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